GTompkins

Unfamiliar with Delta and hoping for some classic expert FlyerTalk guidance here...

Scenario:

• I have a credit from cancelling the return leg of a January 2021 flight (the ticket was purchased in December 2020, outbound flight in December 2020).
• I’m now looking to buy a ticket for NYC to LON travel in February 2021.
• It appears that buying a return ticket is significantly cheaper than buying a one way ticket. I don’t currently have a specific plan for when the return would be (but I'm confident I will use Delta again in 2021).
• I plan to use the credit from the cancelled flight towards the purchase of a new ticket.

Questions:

1. Is there any downside to buying a return ticket, with the return LON to NYC on an arbitrary date later in 2021, e.g. August 2021, flying the outbound flight, then cancelling the return leg, and receiving a credit for the cancelled return flight?
2. Does using a credit to help purchase this return ticket compromise any change/cancellation rights?
3. Are there any conditions around purchasing a flight now, for an outbound flight in say February 2021 and a return flight in say August 2021, that would be impactful and should be considered?

Huge thanks in advance for any help with this scenario.

tardyturtle

If I understand you correctly, booking a RT is cheaper than one-way. You shouldn't have any issue booking the one way and then cancelling the return after your outbound flight has been completed--so long as you cancel after the outbound flight is completed. This should all be covered under Delta's no change fees policy. I cancelled a return trip in November without any issues. The eCredit you'll get will depend on how Delta values the return vs. outbound leg and may be less than 50% the total fare.

Using a credit to purchase your flight shouldn't cause issues with change/cancellation rights except to note that the credit's ultimate expiration date is based on when you initially purchased the first ticket.

GTompkins

Thanks for coming back on this. Good to have an independent view. Wanted to ensure there isn't going to be some surprise when calling Delta after the outbound flight has landed.

xliioper

Note that If the roundtrip ticket is cheaper than the one-way (which you have already noted), there is no value for the return flight as an eCredit if you simply cancel it. You are basically trying to defeat the purpose of roundtrip fares. You can only rebook the return for a different date that still meets the fare rule max stay terms (which is generally 12 months) if you want to get credit for the original return flight price. The airline term for buying cheaper roundtrip fares when you don't intend to use the return flight is known as "throw-away ticketing" and is considered a prohibited practice -- https://www.delta.com/us/en/booking-...s-restrictions.

GTompkins

Ah is that right... surprised though. How come Delta issued a credit for the return flight earlier in January? Maybe I'm missing something?

Just saw your edit - will take a look at that link.

xliioper

It's possible the fares you booked back then were not roundtrip fares (or the sum of the roundtrip fares was more than a one-way -- leaving you with a credit). You didn't say whether it was coach or business. Many coach US-EU fares are now one-way fares since Covid hit. Or maybe they just decided to ignore the fare rules. At any rate, I wouldn't really count on it working again if the roundtrip is less than a one-way.

Looking at historical fares on EF, DL had some one-way D1 Z fares for JFK-LHR in the $1100 range (base, YR seems to run around $700) which were good for travel through March. However, these were pulled on January 20th. The cheapest one-way D1 fares are now in the $2400 -2500 range. However, these have a 28-day advance purchase requirement meaning the nearest they could be booked is February 22nd as it is 28 days from today.

GTompkins

Useful to know. Thank you. It was a Delta Premium Select ticket. Didn't plan on having to cancel the return flight and take a credit (but apparently plans and COVID don't go so well together).

So now looking at options for returning to LHR. If it turns out that after flying the JFK-LHR flight, calling Delta and cancelling the LHR-JFK return, and there's no credit, either due to the fare structure or the throw-away ticketing policy, it will have still worked out considerably cheaper than buying a one-way ticket - and in all reality I will need to fly back to JFK at some point (have family there) so maybe the return ticket will be used.

xliioper

There were a number of discount one-way PS G fares for sale back in November and December from about $700 one-way (GL1X89P2) and valid for travel through March. These were all pulled on December 15th leaving only P fares available for one-way purchase (from about $2000 with 28-day advance purchase, $3200 without).

MSPeconomist

1. Some RT fares have max stay requirements that are much less than 12 months, although you can usually upfare to a fare with less restrictive conditions if you're rebooking the return.

2. Many people here advise keeping tickets or portions of tickets that won't be used until departure time to see whether DL cancels or reschedules the flight(s), in which case you're entitled to a refund.

GTompkins

Thanks for coming back on this. Retaining the ticket until departure time is a good point. Have decided on a return flight in December which will probably be used (subject to any restrictions that may be in place).

The fare breakdown for the new ticket makes absolutely zero sense to me though. Does any of this make sense to you?

The ticket amount shows as $1354.15 and the total charged shows as $378.35.



This makes sense on the basis that the eCredit shows as $975.80.



The amount that comes through on the credit card statement is $1023.78.



Is there a world in which that makes any sense?

Often1

I would never ever never voluntarily cancel until just before the flight (or when cancelled). Flights are cancelled and changed all the time. They are also cancelled or delayed significantly on the day of travel for all the ordinary reasons, e.g. mechanical & weather. If the flight is still on, you can then cancel and you are no worse off for having waited.

GTompkins

Yeah that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for coming back.

Any idea about the pricing breakdown?